This invention relates to an integrated circuit, and electronic equipment and its assembly method which uses suitable integrated circuits when preparing many kinds of electronic equipment having varieties of functions from an upper rank to a lower rank function respectively, according to demand.
These electronic equipment include a magnetic recording and regenerative unit, video recorder/player, video-cassette recorder and the like. In this case, the additional functions to the magnetic recording and regenerative units include, for example, an on-screen display (OSD), PAL system applicable to a plurality of different languages, HiFi, and two-head system or four-head system having a specification of HiFi or NTSC/PAL regenerative system.
The conventional technologies are explained in an example for the magnetic record and/or the generative apparatus or video tape recorder (hereinafter called xe2x80x9cVTRxe2x80x9d). The basic structure of this VTR is shown by big block view in FIG. 1.
In FIG. 1, 101 is a TV signal processing portion which processes signals from a tuning circuit 102 of the TV signal, 103 is a video signal processing portion which outputs TV signals being output from said TV signal processing portion to a recording and/or generative circuit 104 where signal recording and generation thereof are performed in conjunction with a magnetic tape and rotary magnetic heads 105 having two-head system or four-head system, and 113 is an antenna terminal.
Number 106 is a timer portion which counts time for a reservation of TV program and for present time, 107 is a key interface portion which inputs a signal from the key input portion 108, 109 is a driver portion which controls an indication to a fluorescent indicating tube 110, and 111 is a driving control portion which outputs the control signal to the driving mechanism 113 which controls magnetic head 105 and capstan 112 for a servo control (speed control, phase control).
A system control portion 120 controls the whole VTR with input and output signals through connections to the tuning circuit 102, timer portion 106, magnetic signal processing portion 103, key interface portion 107, fluorescent indication tube driver portion 109, and the driving control portion 111, respectively.
Formerly, in the VTR described above, the tuner portion 106, fluorescent indicator tube driver portion 109, and the system control portion 120 are stored in an integrated circuit 121. On the other hand, the drive control portion 111 is structured to an exclusive integrated circuit called a xe2x80x9cdigital servo integrated circuitxe2x80x9d (this structure is hereinafter called xe2x80x9csystem 1xe2x80x9d). However, in the case of a four-headed system, special regeneration (especially slow regeneration) cannot be smoothly operated in this structure, and a special regenerative integrated circuit or an expensive servo integrated circuit having such function must be additionally used. Thus, in the above structure system 1, when the four-headed system is used, the following two structures are widely used:
a structure wherein the system control portion 120 and the driving control portion 111 are stored in an integrated circuit 122, while the timer portion 106 and the fluorescent indicating tube driver portion 109 are stored in another integrated circuit 123 (this structure is hereinafter called xe2x80x9csystem 2xe2x80x9d); or a structure wherein the system control portion 120, driving control portion 111 and the timer portion 106 are stored in an integral circuit 124, and the fluorescent indicating driver portion 109 is used as an exclusive integrated circuit (this structure is hereinafter called xe2x80x9csystem 3xe2x80x9d).
At present, various kinds of VTRs are manufactured and distributed according to user""s requests, e.g., even in the VTR of the NTSC system in Japan and the U.S., there exist 2-headed and four-headed systems, and those two systems have further functional additions (e.g., OSD, HiFi, etc.). Such production of various types in small amounts impedes cost reductions. To overcome this, even when many kinds of VTRs having different functional additions are made, common use of parts incorporated into an inner portion and the preparation step are performed. Particularly, when the layout of the circuit boards is made in common, since the common parts are assigned at the same position on the circuit board, an automatic insertion of parts is available by using an automatic inserter, or manual insertion by hand becomes easy, thereby increasing productivity. In other words, in the case of automatic insertion, if the positions of commonly usable parts thereof are memorized, then its insertion can be performed by correction or addition of each memory provided at a certain part according to each kind without any memory of inserting position from first. In addition, in the case of manual insertion, the generation of insertion errors by the operator decreases because the insertion position is the same with respect to the part.
However, when this common usage of parts is enlarged to integral circuits, among the VTR of two- and four-headed systems having various kinds of functional additions, the specification of said integrated circuit is set so that the highest rank function VTR having the largest number of functional additions may operate, then said integrated circuit is allowed to keep the interchangeability to the lower rank function, and accordingly, the VTR in which said integrated circuit is incorporated, includes unused functions.
Accordingly, in order to decrease manufacturing cost, VTRs of a two-head system are made to be common in circuit board and parts by using the structure of system 1, while VTRs of a four-head system are made to be common in circuit board and parts by using the structure of system 2 or 3.
As is illustrated in systems 1, 2 and 3, at least two large-scale integrated circuits were used as its main structures, resulting in increased costs.
Further, as the system control portion and the fluorescence indicating tube driver portion, or the system control portion and the driving control portion were provided in separate large-scale integrated circuits, both integrated circuits were connected with copper foil wires on the circuit board. Accordingly, noises from other devices provided both inside and outside the unit, overlap at the copper foil wires through which the control signal is sent, and cause mistakes in operation. In addition, when the package shape of said integrated circuit (including number of pin) becomes a plurality, the manufacturing step of the integrated circuit and its examination are performed at different organizations, and the results of the examination become different. Accordingly, the simplification of the manufacturing steps of the integrated circuit becomes difficult, and the decrease in cost of the integrated circuit body is also difficult.
On the other hand, if a single integrated circuit is used, the memory circuit (such as ROM, etc.) for software mounted on said integrated circuit requires a great memory capacity for keeping the highest function. Accordingly, the VTR products which use only the lowest function carry unnecessary and expensive memory and no meaning to use a single integrated circuit can be found.
This invention solves such problems and its objects include the following:
1. To make the package shape (number of pins) in the integrated circuit for electronic equipment system control in common use;
2. To select and use one of said integrated circuit groups having a necessary and the minimum suitable ROM capacity corresponding to each of a plurality of functional additions;
3. To decrease the manufacturing cost of the equipment by restricting large-scale integrated circuits to be used to only one; and
4. To decrease the cost of the assembly step by making the main printed circuit board commonly useful and making the inserting positions of the electronic parts to be mounted to the same position; and
to eliminate the wiring between circuit boards by storing the system control portion and a driven control portion to said one integrated circuit by an effect of one main printed board and to prevent operational errors due to the overlapping of noises.
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit for controlling systems of the electronic equipment provided with a memory circuit therein, comprising:
said memory circuit memorizes a program which practices a software function of said electronic equipment, and forms one of a series of integrated circuit groups which has an interchangeability with respect to said lower rank function by incorporating a one memory circuit having each function from a software of a higher rank to a software of a lower rank respectively; each memory capacity of said series of integrated circuit group has a fixed amount which lessens corresponding to each one from said software of upper rank function to lower rank function respectively; the arranged position and size of each outer input-output lead wire of said series of the integrated circuit group are partially or totally the same as those of the lead wire of the integrated circuit of upper rank function; and said signal which inputs or outputs said lead wire has an interchangeability with respect to the integrated circuit to the lower rank function.
The present invention also relates to an electronic equipment provided with an integrated circuit as described above, wherein a main printed circuit board equipped with said integrated circuit and electronic parts related to said integrated circuit which entirely controls said electronic equipment, has lead wire connecting holes so that lead wires of particular electronic parts are consistently inserted at the same coordinated position on the main printed circuit board, assigned positions and its sizes of the connector portion for connecting it to the outer portions from the main printed circuit board are identical for the main printed circuit board, and a main printed circuit board is solely used from said upper rank functions through the lower rank functions.
The main printed circuit board provided with said integrated circuit and the electronic parts related thereto in the present invention, carries a commonly usable wiring pattern for any integrated circuits of from said upper rank function to said lower rank functions, and any particular electronic parts can be inserted at the same coordinated position on the same wiring pattern.
Electronic equipment of the present invention includes a magnetic video recorder and/or its regenerator.
The integrated circuit of said electronic equipment in the present invention may be provided with a total system control portion including recording and/or regeneration processing circuit, timer portion, indication tube control driver portion, with a logic circuit which is directed to a driving control portion of the head and capstan, and with said memory circuit which memorizes a program by which a software function is executed to control two heads or four heads and head and servo driving control of capstan corresponding to the kinds of the function added thereto; and said electronic parts related to said integrated circuit at least include a TV signal tuning circuit, indication tube interface portion, key input interface portion, audio circuit portion, a video circuit and a head and capstan driving interface portion.
The present invention also relates to a method of assembling electronic equipment, in which:
a step of selecting at least one integrated circuit corresponding to a kind of an equipment to be produced and functions to be added from said series of integrated circuit group;
a step of inserting said selected integrated circuit to said main printed circuit board; and
a step of mounting said electronic parts only onto said coordinated positions corresponding to said kind of equipment to be produced and function to be added on said main printed circuit board are carried out in this order.
A magnetic video recorder and/or its regenerator which is provided with a memory circuit which memorizes enough amount of program data to executed aimed software functions and essential amount of memories corresponding to said software functions from a higher rank through a lower rank, and an integrated circuit selected for an aimed product from a series of integrated circuit groups having an interchangeability to a lower rank, which comprises:
said selected integrated circuit is provided with a digital circuit integrating the system control portion of said total recorder and/or regeneration unit, timer portion and indication tube control drive portion, and
a memory circuit having a software function of the program data by which two heads or four heads and the servo control of the head and capstan portion corresponding to the specification of plurality of added functions regarding the heads;
the assigned position and size of the input and output lead wire of said integrated circuit group and input and output signal thereof have an interchangeability to the lower rank function, respectively; and
the main printed circuit board incorporating said integrated circuit carries a commonly usable wiring pattern for any integrated circuit from said upper rank function to the lower rank function.
The integrated circuit for system control of the electronic equipment of this invention incorporates the memory circuit which memorizes the software memory and practical programs. This memory circuit forms an integrated circuit group having a series of the lower rank interchangeability from the upper rank function to the lower rank function as a necessary minimum memory capacity corresponding to each function, and the lead wire of this integrated circuit is the same in position and size and is provided with lower rank interchangeability. Accordingly, when this integrated circuit is used with the electronic equipment, an integrated circuit having the necessary and minimum integrated circuit can be selected.
In the electronic equipment which uses said integrated circuit, the main printed circuit board mounted with the electronic parts including said integrated circuit, has the lead wires connecting holes always at identical positions so that particular electronic parts are inserted at the same assigned positions, all of the electronic parts necessary for the production of electronic equipment which have the highest rank functions are allowed to be inserted on the main printed circuit board and as the electronic equipment carries the lower rank functions, the number of electronic parts is lessened. In other words, the connecting holes of the lead wires of unnecessary electronic parts are not used. Accordingly, only one main printed circuit board is used in common, and since the position of the coordinates of the electronic part to insert is unchangeable from the upper rank function to the lower rank function, the use of an automatic inserter is possible. In addition, in the event of manual insertion, the error insertion examination can be performed in a short time.
Even if said main printed circuit board is used in the same pattern, the same operation is obtained.
The magnetic video recording and/or the regeneration unit is provided with the system control portion of said equipment, timer portion, indication tube control drive portion, a logic circuit for mainly controlling heads and capstan, and a memory circuit which memorizes programs by which software performs the servo driving control of the head and capstan. The unit is also provided with at least one integrated circuit which is necessary and minimum for the equipment of two- or four-head system, to which aimed function is added, and the main printed circuit board is also provided with the electronic parts corresponding to said units, such as TV signal tuning circuit, indication tube, key input portion, interface portion, audio and video circuit portion and driving interface portion of head and capstan.
The recorder and/or the regeneration unit can be assembled by the following method. The integrated circuit group for system control of this invention is prepared to cover a full range of varieties from upper rank function to lower rank function having an interchangeability to the lower rank thereof, in the production of the recorder and/or the regeneration unit, of two or four-head system with one certain functional additions an integrated circuit having a necessary and minimum memory circuit capacity corresponding to the two- or four-head system with the aimed function added is selected in the first step.
In the second step, said selected integral circuit is mounted on the main printed circuit board which is useful in common to any integral circuit of said record and/or regeneration unit, and in the third step, other electronic parts necessary to the function thereof are also mounted. Since said circuit board is made commonly useful, said electronic parts can be easily mounted on said circuit board just by inserting the parts automatically or manually because the same parts are the same coordinated position.
The memory circuit of said integrated circuit stores the program data of the software function which controls the servo system of the head and the capstan of the unit, and its memory capacity of said memory circuit is decreased to be necessarily minimum.